Cruise ship slams into coral reefs in Indonesia
Print Edition
A British-owned cruise ship has smashed into pristine coral reefs, causing extensive damage in a remote corner of Indonesia known as one of the world’s most biodiverse marine habitats, researchers and officials said yesterday.
Raja Ampat in eastern Indonesia has long been a top attraction for intrepid travelers and avid divers, home to palm-fringed islands surrounded by an underwater kaleidoscope of coral and fish.
But the 4,200-ton Caledonian Sky slammed into the reefs at low tide around Kri, one of hundreds of small islands in Raja Ampat, earlier this month after taking the tourists aboard on a bird-watching expedition.
The boat, which was carrying 102 passengers and 79 crew, grounded on the reefs and had to be refloated by a tug before continuing on its journey.
The accident has damaged an estimated 13,500 square meters of coral reef which could cost up to US$16.2 million to restore, according to Ricardo Tapilatu, a marine researcher from the University of Papua who headed a team assessing the impact.
There has been outrage in the local tourism industry which relies on Raja Ampat’s natural wonders for its survival.
“How can this happen? Was a 12-year-old at the wheel?” Stay Raja Ampat, a website that links tourists up with homestays, said on its Facebook page.
“Anchor damage from ships like these is bad enough, but actually grounding a ship on a reef takes it to a whole new level.”
Conservation International said the ship had entered an area it should not have .
“This is a very, very big loss for us,” said Victor Nikijuluw, the marine program director at Conservation International Indonesia. “Even when (the reefs) grow back, they will not be as pristine as they were.”
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